Conquering the Male Supporting Character – CH 018

Chapter 18. Appeasement

Actually, this was not the first time she’d seen a dead person.

Before entering the orphanage, she had no memory, no parents, no family, did not know where she came from, and had no idea where she should go; she could only aimlessly wander.

Being young, she could not compete with the older children, even begging required dividing up territory, and she was always beaten. She could only hide, rummaging through things to find something to eat.

One night, in the middle of the night, she found a swollen, sticky human hand, oozing a foul stench, with white worms wriggling inside.

It was disgusting and terrifying.

Even though the rest of the body was buried in a garbage dump and could not be clearly seen, she was still so frightened that she fainted.

When she woke up again, the police had found her and taken her to the orphanage. Less than two years later, she was fortunate enough to be adopted by her grandfather.

Her grandfather treated her very well.

Those eerie and sinister nightmares gradually faded away in the dark nights.

The second time she saw one was when her beloved grandfather passed away. She rushed back, knelt beside his bier, and wept for a long time, holding his stiff, cold hand, but she could no longer see his kind smile.

This was the third time she had seen someone die.

But it was the first time she had seen someone die right before her eyes.

Lu Wan felt a chill in the room, a cold sweat running down her back. She instinctively lowered her head and hugged her arms, as if that would give her some sense of security.

At that moment, a pair of warm, strong hands grasped her shoulders, the warmth seeping through the layers of fabric.

She suddenly remembered a legend.

Two lamps were placed on each of a person’s shoulders, illuminating the path of the living and also the targets that demons and monsters were eager to extinguish.

At this moment, Lu Wan felt as if the bright, warm candlelight was being powerfully protected, dispelling the nightmare that had been trying to blow out the soul lamps on her shoulders.

She turned around and saw Xie Yu’s gentle face. He seemed to have already reached a conclusion; his eyes were clear and bright, his tone firm and unwavering as he promised her.

“Ah Wan, do not be afraid. Leave this matter to me. I will definitely get to the bottom of it.”

Lu Wan forced a smile, feeling her lips uncontrollably stiffen.

It had simply stirred up too many unpleasant memories.

She was not necessarily afraid, but she certainly loathed recalling those experiences.

If she did not remember them, she could pretend they did not exist.

You could never wake someone who was pretending to be asleep.

Perhaps they did not want to be woken up either.

The shoulders of the woman in his hand trembled slightly, like a frightened cat. Xie Yu pursed his lips, a slight sneer in his heart. She was still just a young woman after all. He had probably witnessed countless life-or-death situations like this and had long since become desensitized.

Even with his light, airy brushstrokes, countless lives had been lost.

Life and death were commonplace to him.

Seeing Lu Wan’s still pale face, he moved, hesitantly reaching out to gently pull the frightened young woman into his arms.

He patted her back softly, soothing her with a gentle tone.

“When a person dies, all that’s left is a shell; there’s nothing to fear. Confucius said, ‘I do not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.’ Even if ghosts and spirits truly exist, you are not the culprit, so they will not come looking for you.”

?

Lu Wan, who had been feeling uneasy, was almost amused by his words.

This matter had little to do with her; she had not killed anyone, so how could it be related to her? She was merely feeling uneasy recalling past events.

However, she realized that Xie Yu truly had no skill in comforting people.

“Forever alone”—that was exactly the kind of person he was.

Taking this opportunity, he could say a few kind words to her, like, “If ghosts and spirits really exist, he will be there for you.” Would that not be a better approach?

A woman with a weaker will would have instantly seen him as a reliable protector.

However, this momentary distraction allowed her to regain her composure and focus on the ins and outs of today’s events.

Judging from the woman’s demeanor, her grief and shock did not seem feigned. She clearly thought the man was just trying to scam her, not that he would actually die.

It was very likely that someone, having gone all in, had tampered with things beforehand, determined to frame her mother.

If the dead person had any grievances, they would blame the person behind it all, not her.

Lu Wan pouted from where he could not see, then trembled slightly as she snuggled closer to him, pressing her cheek against his warm, firm chest, burying her head in silence. However, upon reflection, she began to ponder the intricacies of the situation.

If she and Xie Yu had not been there today, and if she had not used a basin of water to defuse the situation, the shop would likely have been implicated in someone’s death.

It would not just be a fatal blow to the tavern; her mother would also be implicated.

The person behind this was truly ruthless.

Lu Wan’s mind raced with various thoughts, and she did not notice that the person currently loosely embracing her was moving rather awkwardly and stiffly.

Actually, Xie Yu was also somewhat stunned. This was the first time he had ever hugged someone, especially a woman who was interested in him.

He could see the jade hairpin he had personally placed in her hair; the jade beads on the tassels tumbled playfully in her dark hair.

Following the glossy black hair downwards, one could see her smooth, soft neck…

As if burned, he abruptly averted his gaze, a faint blush appearing on the tips of his alabaster ears.

But Lu Wan’s sweet fragrance lingered, clinging to him, seemingly trying to invade and soak into his clothes, imbuing him with her identical scent.

“Ah Wan…”

Xie Yu tilted his head slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing involuntarily, his voice a little dry.

“Would you like to get up first? I will take you back to the Lu residence so you can rest. I still need to investigate today’s events.”

Having been lying there for quite a while, Lu Wan readily complied. She covered her face with a handkerchief, her long, thick eyelashes drooping, concealing the expression in her eyes, and she did not look at him.

She seemed both shy and regretful of her earlier rudeness.

But Xie Yu’s gaze was now elsewhere, deliberately avoiding her eyes.

He subtly smoothed the wrinkles in his clothes, stood up, and spoke with a somewhat distant tone.

“Shall we set off now?”

Lu Wan gave a soft “Mmm,” quietly and obediently following behind him.

They walked in silence until, just as Lu Wan was about to step into the mansion, Xie Yu suddenly called out to her.

“What is it?”

Lu Wan turned to look at him, somewhat puzzled.

“Tonight, have someone light some calming incense for you. Get some rest.”

Xie Yu smiled gently, carefully instructing her, then reached out to straighten the tassels in her hair; the jade beads had become embedded in her hair.

“Mmm.”

Lu Wan obediently lowered her eyes and responded, her eyelashes fluttering as she watched him leave, lost in thought.

Upon returning to the mansion, Lu Wan went straight to Lady Zhou’s quarters.

“Mother, today…”

Lu Wan had barely entered the room when she saw a shrewd and capable-looking middle-aged man standing respectfully before Lady Zhou, seemingly reporting something, before she interrupted.

“I know everything you need to say.” Lady Zhou frowned, gesturing for Lu Wan to sit down. “I am just listening to the head manager’s report.”

“Madam, that’s how it is. It is all thanks to Fifth Miss’s intelligence; she instructed someone to pour that basin of hot water; otherwise, this matter would not have ended well.”

The middle-aged man bowed deeply, his tone sincere. “It was because I was out that I could not resolve this matter in time. It is all my fault; please punish me, Madam.”

Lady Zhou was not particularly surprised. She even offered a few comforting words before letting the manager leave.

“Mother, thankfully, I was there today.”

Actually, Lu Wan had some suspicions but did not know how to express them, so she simply put on a smug expression to reassure Lady Zhou.

Lady Zhou sipped her tea and glanced at her, but then asked about something else.

“Ah Wan did very well. But did you go to see Lord Xie today?”

“Yes…”

Lu Wan admitted somewhat embarrassedly, suddenly feeling like a middle school student caught in puppy love.

Her gaze fell on the exquisite ornaments on the table, but she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed her mother did not know that the man was dead. She’d wait until there was a result before telling her.

“You are in love with him?”

“Mother…”

Lu Wan lowered her head. Winning over Xie Yu was one thing, but saying it aloud was another, especially in front of Lady Zhou.

These past few days, she had seen Lady Zhou’s kindness towards her, and in her heart, she had long felt that this was what a mother should be like.

She even deluded herself into believing that this was her mother.

Being asked this now made her a little embarrassed.

“What’s so hard to say?” Lady Zhou shook her head, smiling and teasing her without a care.

“It’s only natural to fall for a talented young man like him,” Lu Wan said, taking a deep breath and repeating her lie with a straight face. “Young Master Xie is very good, and he treats me well, too.”

If he could fall in love with her soon and let her go home, that would be even better.

Meanwhile, in the dark dungeon, Xie Yu stood tall and elegant, his gaze fixed intently on the woman kneeling before him.

In this sunless dungeon, Xie Yu’s aura grew cold and stern.

His lips were slightly upturned; his eyes, as black as midnight, deep and unfathomable, were reflected in the flickering candlelight.

A chilling, oppressive feeling, like ice, washed over her.

His gaze at the weeping woman was devoid of emotion, as if he were looking at a dead person.

“Is there anything else you are hiding?” Xie-Jue, standing beside him, questioned.

“No, that’s all,” the woman said through gritted teeth, wiping away her tears. “I’ve said everything I needed to say. It was all Wang Liu’er’s idea! Please, you must find the murderer who killed my son.”

Xie Yu turned and walked out, coldly instructing, “Let Xu Lin handle the rest.”

“Are you not going to handle it yourself? What about Young Lady Lu?”

Xie-Jue was puzzled. Should this not be a perfect opportunity to curry favor with Young Lady Lu?

Hearing this, Xie Yu paused but did not answer.

He wanted nothing more than to change his clothes as quickly as possible. The sweet scent of Lu Wan, that sweet and cloying pear fragrance, seemed to permeate his entire being, constantly lingering around his nose.

It seemed that every breath reminded him of Lu Wan’s presence.

This was truly… ridiculous.

Author’s Note:
Autumn pear, sandalwood, and agarwood were actually the ingredients for a pear-scented incense blend. The Chen’s Incense Manual records these three ingredients, but Hong Chu’s Incense Manual did not include sandalwood. Do not be too picky, little angels! To me, sandalwood smells somewhat like milk and is a bit heavy, probably due to the variety.